Republican Oklahoma state Rep. Todd Russ, often thought of as an anti-gay blithering idiot, has finally come to his senses and introduced House Bill 1125 to get the state government out of the marriage business altogether.
The move stunned marriage equality advocates nationwide because it’s the first piece of legislation to embody what many have long been seeking: an end to the entangling of government and church in the sacrament of holy matrimony.
Under the Russ bill, judges won’t perform marriages and county clerks won’t issue marriage licenses. The ceremonies will be performed by clergy of the various faiths, who will then file a declaration with the county clerk. Those who choose to avoid clergy participation can simply file an affidavit of common law marriage with the county clerk.
Thanks to the enlightened Todd Russ, the Sooner State will not be known just for racist fraternity chants, but instead for leading the country toward a day when all people will be able to marry regardless of religion or sexual orientation.
Oklahoma one step closer to turning marriage over to clergy to spite gays, atheists.
It took Reuters a week to catch up to BITEME, but they finally figured out that Todd Russ’s bill could be the best thing to ever happen to marriage equality in Oklahoma: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/backfire-oklahoma-gops-plan-to-block-same-sex-weddings-could-have-the-opposite-effect/
It looks like the movement to decouple marriage from the state is picking up steam. The latest to join up is a progressive lawmaker from Michigan, State Rep. Todd Courser.
Courser says, “If the couple does not want to have a religious wedding then they are free to simply file an affidavit attesting that they are married. They can do this without ever having to have a ceremony.”
Courser says the Founding Fathers never intended the government to be involved in weddings and that the bills he has introduced are intended to free marriage “from the clutches of government.”
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/michigan-tea-partier-my-bills-wont-forbid-gay-marriage-but-they-will-require-clergy-to-sign-off/
Rand Paul’s ‘solution’ to Kim Davis problem: ‘Why not just privatize marriage?’
Another vote for disestablishment!
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/rand-pauls-solution-to-kim-davis-problem-why-not-just-privatize-marriage/